Apparatus for preparing a chemical solution

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an apparatus for mixing a solid or liquid chemical into water for solving for preparing a chemical solution. The present apparatus is used for preparing a chemical solution, attached to a channel for solving chemical into water running along the channel., The apparatus is provided with a container having an inlet for introducing water, an outlet for discharging the water introduced from the inlet, a water path extending from the inlet to the outlet, and a chemical room for housing the chemical. According to the present invention, the chemicals housed in the chemical room is solved into water running through the water path. Chemical may be solved easily and safety.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP99/02902 filed Jun 1, 1999 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus for mixing solid or liquid chemical with water for solving for preparing a chemical solution, and in particular to an apparatus for preparing a chemical solution used as a germicide solution useful in medicals, food industries, house work, pool and so on.

[0003] There have been known several methods for solving a solid or liquid chemical into water. However, these methods may not easily provide a predetermined chemical solution and requires a specific stirrer.

[0004] Also, there has been known a method to obtain a useful germicide solution by electrolysis of brine. This method is preferably used in a huge place where a large amount of germicide solution is required, but it is not convenient to prepare in a relatively small place since the method requires an expensive apparatus.

[0005] On the other hand, there has proposed a method for preparing an aqueous germicide solution of mixing chemical, as an alternative of above electrolysis method of brine. For example, Japanese laid open patent publication No. 10-81610 in 1998 discloses a method for solving a germicide consisting of acid agent and chloride agent into water to prepare an acid germicide solution. It is useful in a view that the method prepares an aqueous germicide solution having a property similar to that obtained by the above mentioned electrolysis method.

[0006] However, there has not yet developed any means for easily solving the germicide of acid agent and chloride agent into water. Therefore, the germicide is put into a tank filled with water and stirred with a stirrer or rod, or the germicide is put into a vacant tank before water is introduced strongly into it for solving. The germicide however is sometimes remained to be unsolved, or it takes long time until it is solved completely. Also, in case of using a germicide which generates chlorine, it pollutes the circumstance due to raising the chlorine content in the atmosphere, for which the generated chlorine is need to be effectively solved into water.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Present invention provides an apparatus for easily and safety solving a chemical, in particular a germicide, into water for preparing a chemical solution.

[0008] There is provided an apparatus for preparing a chemical solution, attached to a channel for solving chemical into water passing through the channel. The apparatus comprises a container having an inlet for introducing water, an outlet for discharging the water introduced from the inlet, a water path extending from the inlet to the outlet, and a chemical room for housing the chemical. The inside of the chemical room is partitioned into a couple of rooms. One of the rooms houses one kind of chemical, and the other of the rooms houses another kind of chemical. The chemical separately housed in each of the rooms is mixed with water running along the water path for solving.

[0009] Followings are detail description about the present inventions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEW OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

[0011]FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view of the embodied apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to the present invention which is set to discharge the chemical solution at a shower flow.

[0012]FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of the embodied apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to the present invention which is set to discharge the chemical solution at a bundle flow.

[0013]FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the embodied apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to the present invention.

[0014]FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the embodied apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to the present invention.

[0015]FIG. 5 shows a view of the apparatus attached to a faucet for usage.

[0016]FIG. 6 shows a view of the present apparatus attached to a channel to be designed as water cycled.

[0017]FIG. 7 shows a view of the present apparatus attached to a tank.

[0018]FIG. 8 shows a view of the resent apparatus attached to a tank with a stirrer.

[0019]FIG. 9 shows a view of the apparatus in a type of cartridge according to the present invention.

[0020]FIG. 10 shows a view of the apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to the present invention, which is in a type used continuously.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Followings are detail description about several embodiments according to the present invention.

[0022] The apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to the present invention may be designed for a throwaway type, housing chemical at an amount sufficient to be used one time, or a continuous type, housing chemical at an amount for using several times. Followings are described about the throwaway type as a first embodiment and the continuous type as a second embodiment.

[0023]FIG. 1 to 3 shows the apparatus 101 for preparing a chemical solution as an embodiment according to the present invention. The apparatus 101 for preparing a chemical solution is intended to attach to a faucet, and used in a manner that the chemical housed therein is used for preparing a predetermined germicide solution at one time.

[0024] The present apparatus 101 for preparing a chemical solution comprises a container with an upper case 2 and a lower case 5 forming a chemical room 4 therein. The container has an inlet 1 for introducing water, an outlet 3 for discharging the water introduced from the inlet 1, a water path extending from the inlet 1 to the outlet 3, and a chemical room 4 for housing chemical.

[0025] The upper case 2 provided with the inlet 1 has a connection part comprising a rubber packing 7, a collar supplemental component 8 and a settlement component 9. According to the present invention, a pipe portion of the faucet is inserted to a hole 9′ provided in the settlement component, and then the collar supplement component 8 is attached to the collar portion 6′ of the faucet followed by that the collar supplement component attached to the faucet 6 is contacted to the rubber packing 7. Thereafter, a nut screw 11 provided on the settlement component 9 is engaged with a bolt screw 12 provided on the upper case so that the connection part is connected to the faucet. When the faucet is opened, water introduces into the present apparatus attached to the faucet to flow into the chemical room 4.

[0026] The chemical room 4 has a larger diameter wall 17, a bottom portion 18, and a smaller diameter wall 16 formed inside the larger diameter wall 17. Thus, the present chemical room is partitioned into a smaller diameter cavity 20 and a ring cavity 21 enclosing outside of the smaller diameter cavity 20. The bottom portion 18, in the ring cavity 21 , has many numbers of small pore 22, each pore having a size sufficient to prevent the unsolved chemical from passing through and run into the downstream. Also, the bottom portion, in the smaller diameter cavity 20, has a relatively large hole 23 provided with a filter 8.

[0027] Water is strongly run into the chemical room so that the chemical housed in the smaller diameter cavity 20 and the ring cavity 21 may be solved. According to the present invention, the bottom portion of the chemical room has the filter 8 and the small pore 22, the small pore being sufficient to prevent the unsolved chemical from passing through, so that the chemical passes through the filter after completely solved. In other word, the unsolved chemical is stopped before it is solved.

[0028] Various kinds of chemical may be housed in the chemical room according to the present invention. The chemical preferable to be housed in the chemical room according to the present invention is described hereinafter. The chemical room 4 is partitioned into two parts, that is a smaller diameter cavity 20 and a ring cavity 21. Thus, if two kinds of chemical, such as a germicide of chloride agent and acid agent, is not appropriate to be mixed with each other before using, each of them may be housed in separated rooms. For example, chloride agent is housed in the smaller diameter cavity 20 and acid agent is housed in the ring cavity 21. Also, the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 may be provided with another wall to further partition the chemical room 5 to house more than two kinds of chemical. The partitioning wall is not limited to the smaller diameter wall 16 as described in this embodiment, and may extend upwardly from the bottom portion as long as different kinds of the chemical is housed separately.

[0029] The wall 16 for partitioning the chemical room 4 into the smaller diameter cavity 20 is higher than the larger diameter wall 17 so that the chemical housed in the smaller diameter and the ring cavities may transfer therebetween each other when water is introduced into the chemical room.

[0030] While the chemical room is provided with the large hole 23 at the bottom portion thereof, the hole 23 has an introduction pipe 26 extending downwardly and having to a disk plug 24. The disk plug 24 has a hand lever 10 connected at the lower side of the disk plug, the hand lever 10 having a rail 32 engaged with a groove 31 formed inside the axial hole 34 of the lower case 31 for transferring along the groove 31. When the hand lever 10 is rotated, the disk plug 24 as well as the chemical room 4 is moved between upward and downward positions.

[0031] The lower case 5 is engaged with the upper case 2 to house the chemical room inside them. The lower case 5 has, as shown in FIG. 3, an axial hole 34 provided in the center of the bottom wall, and a number of shower holes 9 formed in a radial manner from the axial hole 34. The lower case also has an intermediate partition 29 with several numbers of rectification hole 25, located above the bottom surface of the lower case, to form a rectification room 30. There is formed a projection 27 in a ring shape on the periphery of the intermediate surface 29 having the rectification hole 25 in order to prevent the solution from flowing into the rectification hole 25 when the disk plug is positioned downwardly.

[0032] Therefore, when the disk plug 24 is set to locate at the upward position, as shown in FIG. 1, and the chemical housed in the chemical room is solved, thereby prepared solution passes through the small hole 22 via the rectification hole 25 to the rectification room 30 to discharged from the shower holes 9 in a shower form. Since the small hole 22 provided on the ring cavity of the chemical room has a flow-ability larger than that of the filter 8 attached on the small diameter cavity, almost all the chemical solution is discharged from the shower hole 9 when the disk plug is set in the upward positioned.

[0033] On the other hand, when the disk plug 24 is set to be located in the downward position to close the rectification hole 24, the chemical solution prepared through the chemical room 4 passes through the axial hole 34 to be discharged in a bundle form.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 5, there is provided a hose 42 connected at the outlet 3 of the present apparatus for directing the prepared chemical solution to a tank 46 for storage. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper case 2 has a window 43 for checking the amount of the chemical remained in the chemical room 4.

[0035] In case that the chemical has a relatively low solubility or is housed in a large amount, it is difficult for the chemical to be solved into water only if water is passed through the present apparatus one time. In such case, the present apparatus may be set in a channel to be designed as water cycled. For example, a pump 44 may be attached to a channel for drawing the solution stored in the tank and feeding it again to the present apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0036] The apparatus may be attached to a large tank 46′ as shown in FIG. 7.

[0037] Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the present apparatus may be attached to a large tank having a stirrer with a motor 51 to promote solving of chemical.

[0038] [Chemical]

[0039] According to the present invention, the kind of chemical housed in the chemical room is not limited. The chemical may be in any form of liquid, solid and powder.

[0040] Preferable chemical includes a germicide, the germicide providing a germicide aqueous solution when it is solved into water. More particularly, the preferable germicide comprises an acid agent and a chloride agent.

[0041] Preferable chloride agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of dichloroisocyanuric acid sodium salt (sodium dichloroisocyanurate), sodium hypochlorite, high test hypochlorite and chloramines T. Preferable acid agent is one or more selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, maleic acid, succinic acid, oxalic acid, glycolic acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, sodium hydrogensulfate, sulfamic acid, phosphoric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Such germicide is housed in the present apparatus to prepare a germicide aqueous solution having strong sterile activity and less toxicity, which may be thrown out without complicated treatment for drainage after using.

[0042] Also, above mentioned chemical is preferably housed in the present apparatus to discharge from it an aqueous germicide solution having a pH of 5.5 and less, an oxidation reduction potential of +800 mV and more, and a remained chlorine content of 30 ppm and more. It is considered that the obtained solution is quite effective which is in above range of pH, oxidation reduction potential and remained chlorine content thereof. According to the present invention, the obtained solution having a pH of 5.5 to 4.5, an oxidation reduction potential of +800 to 1000 mV, and a remained chlorine content of 50 to 80 ppm has a performance similar to weak acid electrolysis water, and the obtained solution having a pH of 2.7 and less, an oxidation reduction potential of +1100 mV and more, and a remained chlorine content of 30 to 40 ppm has a performance similar to strong acid electrolysis water

[0043] [examination of solubility]

[0044] The solubility of the germicide by the present embodied apparatus was examined.

[0045] A germicide, Aquasan 70 of trademark, was housed in the chemical room. The Aquasan comprises high test hypochlorite and a pH adjustment agent, housed in amount for 1000 litters of water in the chemical room, and 50 litters of solution was prepared. Water was discharged at a rate of 8 to 24 litters per second in the condition of a shower or bundle flow. After discharging, it was examined whether there was remained unsolved chemical in the chemical room.

[0046] The result shows that there was not found unsolved chemical in the chemical room either in case of shower and bundle flows.

[0047] [Measurement of the chlorine content]

[0048] The chlorine content discharged into the atmosphere was examined under the condition when a germicide is used which generate chlorine in solving. In this test, 100 litters of tank 46′ was used, and 50 litters of solution was prepared. Same kind and amount of germicide was used to prepare samples in this experiments.

[0049] An aqueous germicide solution, referring to as sample 1, was prepared at a flow rate of 3 litters per second by a shower flow from the present apparatus.

[0050] On the other hand, the germicide was put into a tank filled with water and then stirred with a stirrer to prepare a solution as comparative sample 2.

[0051] Also, the germicide was put into a vacant tank and then water was fed at a rate of 3 litters per minute to prepare a solution as comparative sample 3.

[0052] The obtained samples 1 to 3 were examined in the chlorine content changing with passage of time at a level of 10 cm above the solution surface. The chlorine content was measured by an available gas detector. The results are shown in table 1.

[0053] Table 1 clearly demonstrates that the solution prepared by the present apparatus has a significant decrease of chlorine content discharged into the atmosphere. TABLE 1 Chlorine content (ppm) Change with passage of time (minute) Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Immediately thereafter 4 25 50 0.5 1 45 53 1 1 35 52 3 0 30 45

[0054] Also, the present apparatus may be further provided with another filter 8′ on the under surface of the ring cavity as shown in FIG. 4, in addition to the filter 8 attached to the under surface of the small diameter cavity of the chemical room. In case of providing filters 8 and 8′, the filter 8′ provided on the under surface of the ring cavity preferably has a larger permeability than the filter 8 provided on the small diameter cavity 21 so as to discharge the chemical solution in a shower flow when the disk plug is set in the upward position.

[0055] Also, the filter is not limited to be located inside the present container having the chemical room, and may be located on the channel at a downstream side of the container, not shown in a figure.

[0056] The apparatus according to the present invention may preferably of corrosion proof material, especially acid proof material.

[0057] Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the several kinds of chemical may be separately housed in each cartridges 61, 62 of cylindrical case, the case having a mesh at its top and bottom surfaces, so that the chemical housed therein is prevented from contacting each other until water is introduced into the present apparatus. Therefore, even if the chemicals used are improper to be mixed each other in storage, they can be used safety in this apparatus.

[0058] [Second embodiment]

[0059]FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the present apparatus. According to the embodiment, the chemical may be solved into water at a predetermined amount per a volume of water.

[0060] The apparatus is provided with a neck portion 73 on the water path 71, formed in a pipe shape, directing to a mixing room 78 for mixing water with a germicide. The neck portion 73 has two thin pipes 72, the pipe extended from the bottom of the cartridge 76, 77 housing a chloride agent and an acid agent. Water passing through the water path 71 flows down more rapidly at the neck portion 73 so that the pressure inside the thin pipe 72 is significantly decreased to thereby draw the chemical housed in the cartridge for feeding. The thin pipe 72 has a check valve 74 to prevent water from running backwardly toward the cartridge.

[0061] The chloride agent and the acid agent are drawn by the thin pipe 72 to come across water at the neck portion 73 and fed into the mixing room 4 for solving.

[0062] The embodiment uses, but not limited to, a principal of aspirator for continuously feeding an appropriate amount of chemical into the mixing room while preventing excess amount of chemical from wetting with water. Another means for continuing type according to the present invention may be designed to use a method that a sensor outputs a signal for feeding the germicide and a pump receiving the signal feeds the germicide, or a method for gradually discharging a germicide housed a cartridge depending on flowing water. 

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for preparing a chemical solution, attached to a channel for solving chemical into water passing through the channel, comprising a container having an inlet for introducing water, an outlet for discharging the water introduced from the inlet, a water path extending from the inlet to the outlet, and a chemical room for housing the chemical, wherein the inside of the chemical room is partitioned for housing different kinds of chemical without contacting each other during storage, and wherein the different kinds of chemical separately housed is mixed with water running along the water path for solving.
 2. An apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to claim 1 wherein the chemical room comprises a cavity, wherein the cavity has a bottom with a hole for passing water and a wall extending upwardly from the bottom with enclosing the periphery of the bottom, wherein the hole is provided with a filter for the chemical unsolved.
 3. An apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to claim 1 wherein the filter is located at the downstream side of the water path in the container for filtering the chemical unsolved.
 4. An apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to claim 1 wherein the channel is designed as water cycled.
 5. An apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to claim 1 wherein the chemical constitutes a germicide.
 6. An apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to claim 5 wherein the germicide is composed of a chloride agent and an acid agent.
 7. An apparatus for preparing a chemical solution, attached to a channel for solving chemical into water running along the channel, comprising a container having an inlet for introducing water, an outlet for discharging water introduced from the inlet, a water path extending from the inlet to the outlet, and a chemical room for housing the chemical, wherein the inside of the chemical room is designed to dispose a cartridge for housing different kinds of chemical without contacting each other during storage.
 8. An apparatus for preparing a chemical solution according to claim 7 wherein the chemical constitutes a germicide of a chloride agent and an acid agent. 